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Written by Jason Barlow
If we are sometimes too eager to describe sporting figures as legends", Niki Lauda, who has died aged 70, more than qualifies. A triple Formula One world champion, he was a passionate, clever and often inspired racer, in the fullest sense of the word. But he was also F1"s greatest survivor, his comeback from that terrible crash in the 1976 German Grand Prix at the N rburgring sealing his status as one of the bravest drivers who ever lived. Hauled from the flaming wreck of his Ferrari by a handful of his competitors, Lauda suffered severe burns to his head and face, but had also inhaled a deadly mix of gases that wrecked his lungs to such an extent that he was given the last rites by a priest in hospital. Not only did he defy the odds, he was back in his Ferrari six weeks later for the Italian Grand Prix, where he finished a remarkable fourth place. His wounds were still so vivid that he had to tear his blood-soaked balaclava off in one go, demonstrating to his rivals, the media and the public an astonishing lack of personal vanity in the process. Lauda, it seemed, didn"t care what anyone thought, figuring that the only way he could conquer his fear was to get back into a racing car and get on with his job. Indeed, he refused any subsequent cosmetic surgery, unless it was to repair something that would interfere with his ability to race.
Date written: 21 May 2019
More of this article on the Top gear website
ID: 15767
If we are sometimes too eager to describe sporting figures as legends", Niki Lauda, who has died aged 70, more than qualifies. A triple Formula One world champion, he was a passionate, clever and often inspired racer, in the fullest sense of the word. But he was also F1"s greatest survivor, his comeback from that terrible crash in the 1976 German Grand Prix at the N rburgring sealing his status as one of the bravest drivers who ever lived. Hauled from the flaming wreck of his Ferrari by a handful of his competitors, Lauda suffered severe burns to his head and face, but had also inhaled a deadly mix of gases that wrecked his lungs to such an extent that he was given the last rites by a priest in hospital. Not only did he defy the odds, he was back in his Ferrari six weeks later for the Italian Grand Prix, where he finished a remarkable fourth place. His wounds were still so vivid that he had to tear his blood-soaked balaclava off in one go, demonstrating to his rivals, the media and the public an astonishing lack of personal vanity in the process. Lauda, it seemed, didn"t care what anyone thought, figuring that the only way he could conquer his fear was to get back into a racing car and get on with his job. Indeed, he refused any subsequent cosmetic surgery, unless it was to repair something that would interfere with his ability to race.
Date written: 21 May 2019
More of this article on the Top gear website
ID: 15767
